The Timberwolves Aim To Maintain Their Winning Streak As They Face The Struggling Hawks In Minneapolis

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley is aware that he and his teammates have struggled with consistency this season.

However, there might be a change coming. The Timberwolves are coming off one of their best wins of the season and will look for their third straight victory when they play the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night in Minneapolis.

Conley believes the key to their success lies in their mindset.

“Number one, it’s not getting bored of doing the right thing,” Conley said. “We’ve had spells where we do it for four or five possessions and then we say, ‘Let’s go (get isolations), or let’s try something else.’

No, just keep playing fast. Keep throwing the ball ahead, getting transition looks, just getting downhill and sharing the basketball.

“When we put energy to that side of the basketball, I think it bodes well for us.”

The Timberwolves saw the results of this approach in a 133-104 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. This came just three days after their 115-114 road win over the Dallas Mavericks.

As the Timberwolves look to keep the momentum going, the Atlanta Hawks are trying to end their four-game losing streak. The Hawks lost 117-94 at home to the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.

Injuries have made things harder for the Hawks. Jalen Johnson (shoulder) and De’Andre Hunter (illness) missed the last game and are considered day-to-day for Monday’s game in Minnesota.

The Hawks’ No. 1 overall pick, Zaccharie Risacher, is also out due to a thigh injury. The 19-year-old is averaging 10.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in his rookie season.

Hawks coach Quin Snyder said these injuries have forced players into unfamiliar roles, which has led to more turnovers and mistakes.

“Some guys were in unfamiliar situations,” Snyder said after the loss. “Having some guys out, that made it harder for us. You saw the result.”

The Timberwolves are missing a couple of players as well, Donte DiVincenzo (toe) and rookie Terrence Shannon Jr. (ankle), for Monday’s game. DiVincenzo recently learned he won’t need surgery, but there’s no clear timeline for his return.

Trae Young leads the Hawks with 22.8 points per game and 11.5 assists. Johnson is second on the team with 18.9 points and a team-high 10.0 rebounds.

For the Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards leads with 26.3 points per game on 44.5 percent shooting. Julius Randle is averaging 18.9 points and 7.3 rebounds.

Naz Reid (13.6 ppg) believes the Timberwolves’ recent improvements are a positive sign for the future.

“We’ve got to figure it out, as far as staying consistent,” Reid said. “Taking our time, processing everything, playing for each other. I think we’ve been playing like that lately.

“It takes a while. I’ve been saying it since the beginning of the year, it takes a while to get to this point. Still a long way to go, … but I think (it comes down to) habits, just continue our habits we’re building right now.”